[Placer County] Should unlimited winery/brewery events be allowed in rural residential neighborhoods?

Blog note: This article refers to recent Placer County Grand Jury Reports

Unless action is taken, Placer County is about to approve an egregious “Winery/Farm Brewery” Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) that will bring noise, traffic, tourists and other unacceptable impacts to rural residents.

Citizens are not opposed to agricultural operations of wineries and breweries. However, this ZTA was created by the wine/beer industry without addressing citizens’ legitimate concerns. The ZTA will allow wine/beer facilities to hold unlimited events (all day and evenings) that will infringe upon rural neighbors’ rights to enjoy their properties. It will allow commercial event activities, such as weddings, restaurants as “accessory uses” and what can become beer/wine “Happy Hours” disguised as “events” in residential ag and farm zones. Rural communities should not be subjected to increased tourist traffic to/from incompatible commercial wine/beer events on narrow, poorly lit, unfamiliar roads (especially after dark), nor increased road maintenance expenses.

Currently, at taxpayer expense, the county claims the sheriff will “assist” with winery/brewery complaints. However, law enforcement responses to complaints may be preempted by emergency calls. Recent grand jury reports cited the county’s notorious after-hours lack of code enforcement.

Another bitter pill is the likely decline in property values when located near or next to beer/wine bars in rural residential zones. Growing grapes or hops is a “Right to Farm” activity and having a wine/beer “tasting room” (functional equivalent of a “roadside stand”) is allowed. However, commercial events — public or private — are not agricultural operations and not covered by “Right to Farm.” Commercial events belong in commercial zones.

This ZTA is expected to be heard by county supervisors possibly in a few weeks in June. Urge them to (1) not adopt the Wine/Farm Brewery ZTA and (2) send it back for revisions by a task force composed of rural residents—the recipients of the impacts.

To read the Winery/Farm Brewery ZTA, go to https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36152/Appendix-A_Proposed-Zoning-Text-Amendment-PDF?bidId= or https://tinyurl.com/y9pt59xj.

For more information, email Public Interest Coalition at public-interest@live.com. Marilyn Jasper, Chair, Public Interest Coalition P.O. Box 671 Loomis, CA 95650 or Public-Interest@live.com.

Gold Country Media

Marilyn Jasper, Loomis

May 25, 2020